Veteran Sri Lankan journalist Cyril Wimalasurendre has passed away at the age of 96. He died on Monday after a media career spanning nearly 70 years.
Born on November 23, 1929, Wimalasurendre initially served as a government teacher before moving into journalism in the early 1950s. He joined Lake House as an executive officer and journalist, serving there for several decades.
In 1981, he joined Upali Newspapers from its inception at the invitation of founder Upali Wijewardene, contributing mainly to The Island and Divaina. Over four decades at Upali he became one of the most recognisable bylines for a generation of readers.
Colleagues remembered him as soft-spoken and expert in both Sinhala and English dramas, disciplines he carried into his editing and cultural coverage. He was also a prominent social worker in the Kandy region and received numerous awards for his contributions to journalism.
Wimalasurendre was the husband of retired school teacher Indrani Hinniappuhamy Gunathilake, daughter of Kandy businessman H.G. Hinniappuhamy. He is survived by two daughters: Lasanthi Wimalasurendre, an Administrative Officer at the Sri Lanka Right to Information Commission, and Kanchana Wimalasurendre, a lecturer at ICBT Campus.
Tributes from journalists and readers appeared across Sri Lankan media on Tuesday, recognising a career that bridged the Lake House era of post-independence print journalism with the founding generation at Upali Newspapers.
